Enterococci are distinct lactic acid bacteria, and also natural inhabitants of human and animal intestinal tracts. They may enter food products during processing through direct or indirect contamination and are mostly present in fermented food products, such as cheese, sausages, olives, etc. Nowadays, they are extensively studied for the production of bacteriocins (enterocins), which prevent the growth of many food-borne and spoilage-causing pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp. Enterocins belong to class I, class IIa, class IIc, and class III of bacteriocins. Enterocins can be used in different food products in order to enhance their shelf life because they are heat stable and show activity over wide pH range. Enterocins are effective as well as safe to be used in the food system because they are "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS). Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis are the predominant bacteriocin-producing species of Enterococcus in food products. The following review is focused on the bacteriocin-producing strains of Enterococcus faecium isolated from different traditional fermented food products.The aim of this review is to cover general features of the enterocins of Enterococcus faecium, the attempts made to purify them, and their potential application in different food products to improve their overall safety.

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BackgroundA principal caregiver (CG) is directly affected by patient’s health problems that lead to CG strain. Pakistan has an estimated 4.8% of the population suffering from strokes. The study objective was to evaluate the caregiver level of stress and the factors which make CGs more prone to stress and also to identify the predictive role of factors such as age, sex, educational, marital status on their burden.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional survey. 112 Participants were chosen on the basis of being directly involved in the care of patient and able to give consent for the study. Stroke patients had to have a more than 1 month history of stroke and treated in a tertiary care hospital. The severity of stress was rated using the Modified Caregiver Strain Index (MCSI).ResultsOut of a total of 112 stroke patients and their caregivers, 12 were exempted. Most of the CGs were between the ages 30–39 (48%) and male (70%). Out of the males, most were sons (89%). None of the female CGs was employed. The mean MCSI score was 13.8. Gender, age, marital status, and duration of care all did not have a significant effect on the total (P = 0.640, 0.848, 0.839, 0.110 respectively). Female gender (P = 0.0075) was a factor leading to increased emotional adjustments. Single CGs had increased changes in personal plans (P = 0.014), and married CGs found the behaviour of the patients less upsetting (P = 0.0425). There was no significant difference between the total (P = 0.906) or individual components between daughters and daughter-in-laws. Increased duration of care was significantly associated with decrease level of sleep disturbance (P = 0.026), physical strain (P = 0.050) and other demands on time (P = 0.044). Increase age of CG was associated with an increase feeling of being overwhelmed (P = 0.027).ConclusionThere is a need to identify the factors responsible for major CG stress by conducting similar studies and to define structured intervention for evaluating and preventing problems of caregivers.

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Background: Xbox Kinect-based virtual reality, being a novel approach, has therapeutic benefits in rehabilitation and its use is encouraged in stroke rehabilitation of upper extremities. Objective: Primary aim of the current study is to investigate the additional effects of Xbox Kinect training in combination with routine physiotherapy exercises based on each component of Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE). Moreover, effect of upper limb rehabilitation on cognitive functions was also assessed. Methods: This study was a parallel arm randomized control trial. Fifty-six participants were recruited and randomly allocated to either an Xbox Kinect training group (XKGT) or exercise training group (ETG). Measures of concern were recorded using FMA-UE, Box and Block Test (BBT), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA). Evaluation was conducted at baseline and after completion of intervention at the sixth week. Results: There were significant differences from pre- to post-intervention scores of FMA-UE and BBT (p < 0.001) in both groups, whereas no difference was observed for MOCA (XKTG p value 0.417, ETG p value 0.113). At six-week follow-up there were significant differences between both groups in FMA-UE total score (p < 0.001), volitional movement within synergies (p < 0.001), wrist (p = 0.021), hand (p = 0.047), grasp (p = 0.006) and coordination/speed (p = 0.004), favoring the Xbox Kinect training group. Conclusion: To conclude, results indicate repetitive use of the hemiparetic upper extremity by Xbox Kinect-based upper limb rehabilitation training in addition to conventional therapy has a promising potential to enhance upper limb motor function for stroke patients.